Chapter 801: 402 United at the brink of life and death?

Since Tom’s frame was somewhat slimmer than Oscar’s, although Oscar initiated the action a split second earlier, Tom relied on his agility to take off at lightning speed, instantly overtaking Oscar.

“Click.”

At that moment, a crisp yet spine-chilling sound echoed through the room. Immediately after, the sixty-second countdown timer began ticking with a tense “tick-tock” rhythm.

“You bastard!”

Upon hearing the sound, Oscar’s eyes turned red, filled with fury and frustration. Just as he started moving, Tom had overtaken him in mere moments. To make matters worse, because the iron chains around their necks were linked, every step Tom took forward forced Oscar to take a step back involuntarily.

Grinding his teeth, Oscar summoned all his strength and surged forward with explosive force. Tom, who was ahead by one body’s length, was suddenly jerked backward mid-dash, losing his balance entirely and collapsing heavily onto the ground with a loud “thud.”

The other three players snapped out of their daze as though awakened from a dream. In an instant, their nerves stretched taut, like near-breaking strings on a violin. They could even feel the faint breeze from the electric saw furiously spinning behind their necks, a cold surge creeping up their spines. Jolted awake, cold sweat poured out uncontrollably. Seeing the situation, their minds were consumed by only one thought: make it to their designated glass boxes as fast as possible.

Within moments, the once “united front” of five individuals descended into utter chaos. Tom, sprawled on the ground, had been dragged back to square one by the iron chain, becoming the person farthest away from the glass boxes. Behind him loomed the buzzing, ferociously spinning electric saw–like a Demon poised to devour life at any moment.

The atmosphere in the live-stream room underwent a sudden shift as viewers witnessed the supposed camaraderie crumble in an instant. The audience was left dumbfounded, staring at their screens in disbelief.

“Wow! Weren’t these guys just talking about working together moments ago? How did things end up like this so quickly?”

“Hmph! A group like theirs, bound together purely by mutual interest, would obviously disintegrate at the first sign of life-or-death stakes. Cooperation? Fat chance.”

“Have you ever seen villains banding together in unity when staring death in the face? People like them care only about their own hides. Why would they ever give a damn about anyone else?”

“I think the host saw right through them, which is why they designed this contraption. If it were five ordinary people, maybe they would have worked together, retrieving each key one by one.”

“Hold on, you’ve got it wrong. Humanity, by its very nature, has selfish tendencies. Especially when facing mortal danger, trusting others becomes nearly impossible. Regular people might act just like Oscar and the rest in this kind of scenario.”

“Whatever the case, I honestly find the host’s methods unacceptable. Combating evil with evil is nothing but barbarism–especially methods as gruesome as these!”

“Exactly. This whole thing is way too cruel. Watching it sends shivers down my spine.”

While the viewers in the live-stream room were fervently debating the nature of humanity, the on-screen Tom let out a roar, scrambled up from the ground, and dashed toward his glass box once again.

In that moment, Oscar and the other four scattered in different directions, unleashing every ounce of their strength, as the game erupted into a fierce contest of power.

“If you all lack compassion, don’t blame me for being ruthless! You bastards, let’s go for broke!” Mark roared furiously, his red eyes brimming with rage and despair.

Among the five, Mark had the tallest stature and the greatest brute strength. As he exerted raw power, the other four immediately felt overpowered, unable to compete with him at all.

“Damn it!” Feeling the increasing tug of the iron chain from behind, Tom shouted furiously, leaning forward in a desperate attempt to hold his position. But ultimately, he could only barely stay where he was, avoiding moving backward.

At that decisive moment, Mark surged forward, reaching the glass box. Fixing his gaze on the key within arm’s reach, his face lit up with exhilaration, his eyes flashing with joyous anticipation.

Without hesitation, he took off his jacket, wrapped it around his right hand, and smashed the glass box forcefully. Within moments, he successfully picked up the key inside.

Witnessing this, the live-stream audience grew visibly agitated. Their concern intensified, wondering whether the host would truly abide by the rules and let this despicable man walk free after unlocking his collar.

“No way. Did this bastard seriously get the key so fast? That’s so infuriating!”

“What can we do? If this asshole unlocks his collar, will the host actually let him go? That’d be way too convenient for him!”

“I doubt the host will let them off easily. Don’t forget–the room’s only door is an iron one reinforced with hydraulic locks. Unless they locate the switch, unlocking the collars won’t help them escape!”

“You guys remember Jack Thompson, right? Even though he cleared the first challenge, he still died during the second. So no worries–the host must have a second round of traps set up this time too!”

“Ugh, figures the host would turn out to be some deranged psycho, designing yet another round just to torture these people further.”

“What the hell? You self-righteous Holy Mother types just don’t quit, do you? I swear, you’re all a bunch of morons!”